Educational Materials

The Livability Curriculum was developed by the Livability Educator for the City of Greenville through grant funding from the Partnership for Sustainable Communities (2011-2014). Formulated specifically for Greenville, SC and the surrounding area, the Livability Curriculum is made up of place-based interdisciplinary programs designed to provide educators with the tools to begin exploring sustainability and livability topics in the urban environment.

Livability Curriculum

The Urban Naturalist Program introduces students to the natural environment present in the city and provides tools and background information to engage students in exploration of the natural world and contemplation of their connections to nature in an urban setting. The program provides background information, handouts, and activities on Safety, Map Reading, Tree Identification, Birds, Invasive Plants, Amphibians and Reptiles, Insects, Mushrooms, Freshwater Habitats, and Stream Macroinvertebrates.

Companion Materials for The Urban Naturalist Program:

Powerpoint Presentations: Download presentations to use with the Urban Naturalist Program. Where available, a “simple” option has been included for use with younger audiences or shorter class times. Note: Download is a zip file that contains 11 powerpoint presentations.

Community Quest offers lessons related to the social and built environment in a city. Lesson plans and background information specific to the City of Greenville are designed to engage students in exploring their community’s social and built infrastructure as well as its history and to empower them to become involved in shaping their community’s future. The Community Quest program includes background information, supplemental materials, and activities on Community, Land Use, Urban Environments, Transportation, Housing, The Urban Water Cycle, Green Space, Housing, Planning, and more.

Greenville’s Greener Streets was developed as part of the Green Streets grant as a curriculum supplement that provides information and activities excerpted from the Urban Naturalist and Community Quest programs related to trees and their importance in the urban environment.

Exploring Greenville’s Water is designed to facilitate an exploration of water quality and greater understanding of the connections between land use and our water resources. Exploring Greenville’s Water includes excerpts from Community Quest, the Urban Naturalist Program, and new activities and sections specific to water quality including background information, supplemental materials, and activities on as Watersheds, Land Use and Water Quality, Urban Surfaces, Water Conservation, the Urban Water Cycle, Nonpoint Source Pollution, and more.

Discover Greenville Series

The Discover Greenville Series has been developed by the Livability Educator as a series of fun, place-based activity booklets that can be utilized by teachers, parents, informal educators, and students to learn more about the history, environment, art, and people of Greenville, SC. These booklets can be paired with lessons and information from Community Quest or used as stand-alone activities.

A Downtown Greenville Scavenger Hunt is a place-based curriculum supplement specific to Greenville, SC and a fun game for young people and adults alike to play as they explore and learn about the history and people of Greenville through the City’s unique public art.

The Falls Park Guide and Activity Book is set up like a self-guided tour of one of Greenville’s most iconic places, Falls Park. This booklet is packed with fun activities, puzzles, and educational information. It’s the perfect companion piece to a school field trip or a family walk in the park.

The West Side Comprehensive Plan Summary and Activity Booklet

A major component of the Connections for Sustainability Project was the creation
of a comprehensive plan for the West Side of Greenville. The West Side Comprehensive
Plan Summary and Activity Booklet was developed by the Livability Educator as a
companion piece to the Community Quest program. This booklet provides a chapter
by chapter summary of some of the main ideas and strategies suggested in the West
Side Comprehensive Plan along with fun activities and thought provoking questions
to engage students in a more detailed understanding of planning and ways that communities
change and grow over time.

Educational Children’s Story and Coloring Books

The Livability Educator has written and illustrated a series of children’s story books that introduce Elementary age students to topics related to sustainability. Perfect for a read-aloud in class or to print out so that your child can color in the pages, these books have been a hit with kids. Following a read along at A J Whittenberg Elementary School, one 3rd grade student exclaimed, “I liked it because I learned something but it was still fun!”
Download the books below.

"A Tree!"

Best friends Edmund Frog and William the Mouse have problems. Though they love their homes, their neighborhood just isn’t quite what it used to be. Luckily, Robin the Robin shows up to tell them all about the benefits of trees. Together, the friends learn the correct way to plant and care for a tree, making their neighborhood a better place to be!
Download

"The Great Pond Clean-Up"

Edmund Frog and William Mouse are back, and now they are tackling the problems of stormwater runoff and water pollution with a new friend, Mel Sunfish. This book is a great introduction to water quality issues, and a picture glossary in the back of the book is available to help students understand the more technical and scientific terms.
Download

The Green Craft Challenge

The Green Craft Challenge Program has been developed by the Livability Educator and A.J. Whittenberg Librarian, Amanda Leblanc as a curriculum supplement, afterschool, and at home educational program suitable for all ages. The Green Craft Challenge emphasizes problem solving, waste reduction, and creativity.

The Green Craft Challenge Booklet provides background materials and activities designed to help parents and teachers engage students in contemplation of their role in the waste stream.

Video Tutorials

Crafts are continuously being added to the Green Craft Challenge Program at AJW, and tutorial videos are available online.

The Livability Learning Journal is a short series of articles written by the Livability Educator about her lessons and her experiences in the classroom learning with and from the students that she worked with.